Employee Performance

Avoid performance review traps

January 1, 2008
Otherwise intelligent managers may not realize that they’re implementing people-management strategies that are doomed to fail, especially when conducting performance appraisals.

When workers need outside help

December 1, 2007
Employees having chronic personal problems can see their productivity diminish at an alarming rate, with profound consequences for their teams.

Positive confrontation gets results

December 1, 2007
What do you do when an employee consistently turns in a poor performance? You can plan for “positive confrontation” that can minimize tension and maximize success.

Taming your high-energy employees

November 1, 2007
Talented, high-energy employees can deliver spectacular results. They can also irritate other employees, be generally disruptive, and undermine your authority.

A veteran can’t meet the new team goals

October 1, 2007
As the manager of a successful retail outlet, your company introduced an upsell approach to increase sales. One of your most experienced employees just can’t get the hang of the new strategy.

Get employee buy-in on job descriptions

September 1, 2007
Do you have current job descriptions for every position on your team? If they’re more than six months old, you may have a lot to gain by updating them.

How to plan your own performance

August 1, 2007
It can be difficult to appraise an employee’s performance in the roles of “people manager” or “team leader”–and that goes for your own performance as well.

Taking the stress out of appraisals

August 1, 2007
Ask managers about the most stressful parts of their jobs, and performance reviews will be near the top of the list. Ask employees about what gives them stress, and you’re likely to get the same answer.

Overcome the threat of employee burnout

July 1, 2007
The bad news about burnout is that once a good employee has a serious case of it, the only thing that can help him recover is time away from the stress of the job. The good news is that managers can take many steps to be sure employees don’t get a serious case of burnout.

A worker is so nice, you can’t take it anymore

July 1, 2007
Everyone knows Helen is the nicest, sweetest, most open-hearted person on your team. But planning birthdays, organizing volunteer efforts, and passing around cards are taking up a lot of her time …